Sofa-bed



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. T. ROLPH.

SOFA BED.

No. 585,122. Patented June 22,1897.

W/TNESSES: INVENTOB WM YW 7 BY W ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I (No Model.)

W. ROLPH.

SOFA BED.

Patented June 22,1897.

INVENTOH WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS THE Ncmlxs nrzns 0a., VNOTD-LIYMQ. WASHINGTON. n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM T. ROLPH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SOFA-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,122, dated June 22, 1897.

' Application filed February 2,1897. Serial No. 621,719. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'WILLIAM T. RoLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, and State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sofa-Beds, of which the following isaspecification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to combination sofas and beds, and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class which may be used either as a sofa or as a bed whenever desired, and which may be converted from a sofa into a bed without necessity for going behind to open or close, as it is necessary to do with every other like structure known to me.

Another object is to provide a combined sofa and bed which comprises, in addition to these articles, a box for bedding, the cover of which, when raised, is held automatically in the open position; and with this and other objects in view the invention consists of the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts as hereinafter described.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which similar numerals of reference designate like or equivalent parts wherever found throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame of my improved combined sofa and bed, the separate parts being in the position they occupy when the device is used as a sofa; Fig. 2, a transverse section with the parts in the position they occupy when the device is used as a bed, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the practice of my invention I provide a combined sofa and bed which consists of three separate parts, the first part 5, as shown in the drawings, consisting of an oblong rectangular box or frame which is designed to serve as a receptacle for bed-clothing and other articles and also as a base or a support for the sofa or bed. This base part or frame 5 is composed of a back 6, a bottom 7, end pieces 8, and a front 9, and the second part rests thereon and is similar in form, consisting of end pieces 11, a front piece 12, and a back strip 13, and the back strip 13 and the front piece 10 are connected by crossstrips or slats 14, designed to support the upholstering.

The third part, which is designed to form the back of the sofa and also a portion of the bed when the device is used as a bed, is shown at 15, and is similar in form to the base frame or box 5, and also to the second part 10, which is hinged thereto, and comprises end pieces 16, a front strip 17, and back strip 18, and the front strip 17 and back strip 18 are also connected by cross-strips or slats 19.

Secured to the back portion of the bottom box or casing and near each corner thereof is a strong piece of an gle-iron 20, which projects upwardly and is provided with an'outwardlydirected arm 21, which forms at its extremity the pivot upon which, as will be later explained, both the frames 10 and are hinged.

This angle-iron 20 thus forms a union between the three frames 5, 10, and 15. The height of the angle-iron 20 above the base box or frame 5 is substantially the same as that of the end pieces 11 of the second part of the device, which constitutes the seat of the sofa.

Secured to the end pieces 11 of the part 10 are metal plates 23, and corresponding metal plates 24 are secured to the end pieces 16 of the part 15, and the plate 23 is provided with a backwardly-directed segmental extension, as shown at 25, and the plate 24 with a forwardly-directed segmental arm or extension 26, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the plates 23 and 24 are connected with the angle-piece 20, so as to form the hinge.

Pivoted within the end pieces 11 at 27 are levers 28, and dogs 29 are pivoted to the plates 23 at 30, and the inner ends of said dogs are forced outwardly by springs 31, and the levers 28 bear on the inner ends of the dogs 29 at 32, and the outer ends of the dogs 29 are provided with outwardly-directed arms 33, which are adapted to pass through the opening or perforation 34 in the plate 23 and through the opening 3a? in plate 24 when these openings coincide, as they will when seat and back are at right angles.

The free ends of the lever 27 are connected by a cord, chain, strap, or other device 35, which extends longitudinallyacross the part 10, which constitutes the seat of the sofa, and which passes through keepers 3t), and which may be manipulated as desired to pull the free ends of the levers 2S inwardly, and this operation will depress the inner ends of the dogs 29 or force them toward the end pieces 11, so as to disengage the arms thereof from the perforations or openings 34: and 34.

Pivotally connected with the back of the base box or frame 5 and at each end thereof are rods 37, which are connected with sliding bars 38, which pass through keepers 39, secured to the inner sides of the end pieces 16 of the part 15, which constitutes the back of the sofa, and the outer or upper ends of these sliding bars 38 are pivotally connected with rods 39, which are pivotally connected with legs 40, said legs being pix oted to said end pieces 16, as shown at 41, and as the back of the sofa or part 15 of the device is moved baekwardl y to the position shown in Fig. 2 the legs &0 will be turned down by the rods 37, the sliding bars 38, and the rods 39, and when the said back is again raised this operation will be reversed and the legs 40 will be folded into the position shown in Fig. 1. I also provide means for locking the seat 10 to the base box or frame 5, which consists of slots 42, formed in the front of the base box or frame 5, and in which are pivoted crank-levers 43, with each of which is connected a rod 44:, said rods being connected with a disk 45, which is provided with a shaft 46, having a head 47.

The shaft 46 extends through the front 12 of the seat 10 and is adapted to be operated from the front thereof, and the rods 49 are each connected with the upper side of the disk 45, and secured to the crank-levers 43 are springs l8,which serve to draw the upper ends of said levers both to the right.

The lower. ends of the crank-levers a3 are provided with heads by which the front of the seat or part 10 is locked to the bottom frame or box 5, and the springs 48 serve to hold these heads in operative position, and by turning the handle or head 47 of the shaft 46 to the left both of the rods 44: will be moved in the same direction and the locking-levers 43 will be disengaged from the front 9 of the bottom box or frame 5 and the seat portion 10 of the device may be raised, and through the mechanism already described this movement will result in lowering the back. It is obvious that instead of two rods it a single rod may be used.

In the operation of my combined sofa and bed, the same being in the shape of a sofa and it being desired to convert it into a bed, the following is the procedure: Grasping the key 47 and turning the same to the left, the seat portion 10 is thereby unlocked from the base-frame 5. Lifting by means of this key, the sofa having first been drawn forward from the wall, the seat portion is carried from a horizontal to an upright position, and the back 15, being rigidly locked at right angles to the seat portion 10, travels from an upright backwardly to a horizontal position, and this same operation forces the legs 40 into position to support the back 16.

Releasing the key 47, I now grasp the cord 36, projecting through the slats and from the under side of seat portion 10, and by pulling upon this cord I disengage the dogs 33 through the mechanism before described, thus releasing the back portion 15 from the seat portion 10, andleaving the back port-ion 15 in its horizontal position I lower the seat portion 10 to its original horizontal position, and thus have a bed formed of the back and seat portions lying side by side and which I have thus converted from the sofa without moving, during the operation, from my position in the front of the device.

In converting from a bed to a sofa the modas operandi is as follows: Grasping the key 47 again, unlock, as before, raise the seat to an upright position, and when at right angles with the back the dogs 33 will automatically lock the seat and back together. Then draw the seat forward and lower to the horizontal. The back will follow and the automatic legs will fold in.

It will be understood that the back or part 15 and the seat or part 10 are upholstered or may be upholstered in any desired manner, and it is evident that changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combined sofa and bed comprising the base-box, the angle-irons connected to the back of said box and having outwardly-turned ends, and the seat and back both hinged upon said outwardly-turned ends, substantially as described.

2. A combined sofa and bed consisting of three parts which are similar and oblong in form, one of said parts forming a base box or frame, another the seat of the sofa, and the third the back, said parts being hinged together at the back of the base box or frame, and the third part or back being adapted to be folded backwardly into a horizontal position, the seat and the back being hinged together and to the base box or frame, and means for locking the front of the seat to the base frame or box and for locking the back in an upright position substantially as shown and described.

3. The herein-described combined sofa and bed consisting of three separate parts, one of which constitutes a base box or frame, the other a seat for the sofa and the third the back of the sofa; said back being adapted to be folded backwardly to a horizontal position and said seat being adapted to be locked to In witness whereof I have hereunto set my the front of the base box or frame and the hand in presence of two Witnesses.

back being also provided with legs by which it is supported when in a horizontal position, WVILLIAM T. ROLPH. and operative devices for looking the back in an upright position and for allowing it to be Witnesses:

folded backwardly and for operating said legs WM. WALLACE WHITE, substantially as shown and described. H. L. BEIL. 

